The present invention relates to user access systems and service provider host systems for data and service networks, particularly but not exclusively for use with the Internet/World Wide Web, and to means for initiating communications with a user when on-line.
Recent years have seen a rapid increase in the amount of data available to a user via data network coupling to remote server, with cheap browser packages for home personal computer (PC) users and dedicated (and cheaper) access mechanisms such as WebTV greatly increasing the number of people on-line. A number of examples of network access and server systems, whether for the Internet or on a smaller local area network (LAN), are described in the introduction to EP-A-0 732 660 (Kambayashi et al/Toshiba) which relates to a mechanism for providing a degree of personalisation in service provision.
In the system described, a number of client systems (for example home users) are enabled to access, via network, data stored by a server. Each of these users is registered with the server having provided to it certain personal details such as an e-mail address and/or telephone number and optionally also a photograph. In operation, when a user is accessing a particular store or field of data held by the server, the server provides to the user a list of those other users concurrently accessing the data, perhaps providing an on-screen display of the photographs of those registered users.
As the number of people using networks such as the Internet continues to grow, so the extended use of individual telephone lines will create more problems. If a person is on-line then others cannot call them and even other on-line users cannot communicate in an immediate way using the Internet unless both parties go to a dedicated xe2x80x9cchat spacexe2x80x9dxe2x80x94a host environment where messages may be exchanged. E-mail has been found to have problems with reliability and speed and, in view of the increasing volumes of electronic xe2x80x9cjunk mailxe2x80x9d users are receiving, there is no guarantee that a message will be read once received.
The main difficulty with communication between two or more concurrently on-line users on such as the Internet is that if they make use of a dial-up connection then their Internet Protocol (IP) addressxe2x80x94the numeric address that addresses each packetxe2x80x94will be different each time they connect. Specially written or modified chat software will not be able to handle the establishing of a link as one on-line person does not know the IP address of another for dial-up accounts on many Internet service providers.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a means by which on-line users may be alerted to someone attempting to contact them.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a network communications system comprising a plurality of user stations, each comprising respective processing and display means, and a plurality of service provider host systems coupled via a data network, wherein at least some of the user stations are registered as client stations with a first service provider host system, said host system including storage means maintaining a database of registered client station identification data; characterised in that each client station is configured to periodically identify to said host system, via the data network, when it is on-line; said host system is arranged to maintain an indication of those client stations on-line and includes means for, on receipt of data identifying a client station and additional data specifying a message, formatting a paging message and transmitting it via the network to the identified client station; each client station being configured to, on receipt of a paging message via the data network, generate an on-screen indication of receipt to the user and, in response to a predetermined command of the user, repeat the message.
By the provision of a service provider host system maintaining a list of those users currently on-line, a base location is effectively provided from which messages may be sent to the user (whose IP address would otherwise be unknown). Not only is this of benefit to the third party trying to contact an on-line user, but also to the users themselves who might otherwise worry about the length of time for which their telephone or other on-line connection is engaged.
On registration of a new client station, the host system may be arranged to generate a digital password (and optionally also a UserID), transmit the password to the new client station via the data network, and store the password with details of the new client station within the database. With such an arrangement, the periodic identification sent by a client station to the host system could suitably include an identifier for that client system and/or the password assigned by the host system. Making use of the periodic messages, the host system may suitably comprise timing means for maintaining in the directory an indication of when last each on-line client station contacted the server. With such timing means, the host may further comprise means coupled with the directory and operable to remove therefrom those client stations that do not contact the server within a predetermined period.
At the client system, which may comprise a suitably configured data network browser, the arrival of a paging message may be indicated to the user by display of an on-screen icon or message. To give a degree of flexibility to the user, user-operable selection means may be provided coupled with menu generation means arranged to generate a display of available icons from which the user may select one to be used by the browser to indicate the receipt of a message.
The client station is preferably configured to display the message in user-readable form in response to a predetermined command of the user, which command might be typed in via a users keyboard or simply a point and select operation on the displayed icon. To provide feedback to the originator of a received message, a client station may include means operable to send via the data network an acknowledge signal in response to a further user command and following receipt of a message to be acknowledged. This acknowledgment may be sent automatically when the user calls up the received message to view, or it may require a specific command of the user.
In an alternative to displaying the text of paging messages, the host system may include means operable to digitise audio data segments and transmit the same as part of a paging message, with one or more of the client stations then including means arranged to recreate the audio segments and play the same to a user in response to the a predetermined command or operation of the user.
The present invention also provides a data network browser configured as a user station, and a network server for use as service provider host system, for the above-described network communications system and as defined the claims attached hereto, to which the readers attention is now directed.